hand in hand
by rectifyinflux
Summary: Skye and Ward return from a mission to an unusual situation (a.k.a. Antoine Triplett is the coolest uncle ever.)


**The Ice Queen**

It wasn't often that Skye and Ward went on missions together, preferring at least one of them with their kids but it happened from time to time. And when that was the case, Becca and Allen were left in the care of the team. They spent their times on the base, with their aunts and uncles picking up things that their parents wished they wouldn't – though they didn't know half the things that happened in their absence.

Immediately after landing their jet, they had retreated to their area of the Playground to clean up before scouring the base for their kids. It wasn't hard really, just follow the noise. Oddly enough, it was strangely silent and honestly, nothing scared Ward more.

He searches each room he passes, ducking under tables and craning his neck to find any traces of them. Skye does the same, though her eyes were glued on the tablet. "Can't find them."

"Coulson took them?" Ward asks.

"It could be. Oh – wait, there's Trip. He'll know."

Ward takes her hand as they make their way to the main lounge area. They find Trip slouched in the armchair, staring at the huge windows. Or out, but there wasn't really anything to be looking at outside.

"Trip."

He doesn't offer a reply, doesn't even move. Skye goes to stand by him, snapping her fingers and waving her hand. "Ward, you don't think something happened?"

"The alarms would've been set off. And they would've contacted us." He reasons, nudging his fellow specialist. "Check the feeds."

There was nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone else seemed to be in motion, Fitz and Mack in the lab. Bobbi had Allen, entertaining him with Star Wars figurines though he seemed more interested in drooling all over Han Solo.

Skye presses her fingers to his neck, checking his pulse. It was there. And he was still breathing. "I'm gonna get Jemma."

"Good call. I'll stay here. In case."

She's barely out the door before Becca and Aria come barreling into the room, hugging Skye's legs. "You're back."

Ward reaches out to steady her, placing a hand against the small of Skye's back. "Hey girls, where've you been?"

"With Auntie Jemma. She was teaching us how to use the microscope." Becca answered.

"Was she?" Skye asks, looking over at her.

"Uh huh. Mummy was telling us all about cell walls."

Jemma offers her a huge smile. "They're so enthusiastic. I couldn't say no, well not that I would."

"Why are you wearing your Elsa dress?"

"Because I'm Elsa today." Becca does a semi-curtsy, spinning on the spot as she played with the skirt. "Do you like it?"

"I do." Ward admits. "But it's not the right time for costumes."

"Uncle Trip said I could wear _whatever_ I wanted."

"Then my little one got wind of that information and insisted she had to be Anna."

"I can't leave my sister alone, Mummy!" Aria says scandalized, facing Jemma with hands on her hips.

"Of course not. That's blasphemy."

"They dressed Allen too?" Ward asks.

"Olaf."

"Well, that'll be adorable."

"I already have pictures. I'll send them."

"Thanks. Speaking of Trip, Jem, you might want to run a few tests."

"Is Uncle Trip sick?" Becca asks, eyes wide as she wriggles out of her father's embrace.

She stands between his knees, holding Trip's face. His sudden gasp of air has both Skye and Ward startled.

"He seems fine to me." Jemma remarks.

"But – he – before." Ward stammers.

"I swear, Jem, he wasn't moving!"

"Oh." Becca nods in understanding, "Uncle Trip's not sick."

"It's just Becca's powers at work."

"What powers?" Skye and Ward exchange worried glances. They had discussed the possibility of her 084 abilities being passed on to their daughter.

"It's amazing." Aria nudges her cousin. "Show them."

Becca places a hand on his arm and Trip stops mid-move. She repeats the motion and he gets onto his feet, stretching.

"Well, heck, her powers get stronger and stronger each time." Trip says, winking in their direction. "This might be a problem."

"It only works on Uncle Trip, though."

"Maybe your dress gives you powers?"

The girls move closer, whispering with hands covering their mouths. Jemma watches with an amused smile, Skye pulls her phone out, snapping a quick picture.

"Okay. We've decided not to wear our Anna and Elsa dresses –"

"– so Becca doesn't freeze Uncle Trip anymore –"

"Because Uncle Trip frozen is no fun."

"Let's go get you changed then," Skye takes both their hands. "And you can tell me all about what happened when we were gone."

"Grandpa got us icecream!" Aria says. "I shared with Auntie Bobbi. We got peanut butter."

"Allen got the one with sprinkles – the colourful kind but I didn't like it. So Uncle Fitz said I could share with him, we got the green one. It tastes like your toothpaste, Mommy. And there was lots of –"

"Chocolate!" They chorused.

"Grant, coming?" Skye asks, looking over her shoulder.

He nods, turning to face Trip. "Thanks for – all that."

"Hey, that's my girl right there. And if she wants to be the Ice Queen for a bit, why not?"

"Fair warning," Jemma adds, "She might ask for a snowman or a reindeer. Fitz almost gave in twice when they asked this morning."

"Better not let them watch Aladdin again. Remember what happened last time?"

Ward rubs his face tiredly, he had too many of these conversations. It always came down to No, sunny, you can't have a pet tiger or chameleon or what other creature Disney decided would accompany the protagonist.

(Unfortunately, Fitz was no help when it came to wanting a monkey like Abu so he had to be the voice of reason.)

"Good luck!" Trip calls.


End file.
